I love side dishes. Last week we had a family dinner on Sunday and I filled my entire plate with nothing but sides. The main dish was smoked turkey (woah, you should really smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving next year) but once I’d gotten a little something of everything else, there just wasn’t room on my plate for the main dish. Not gonna lie… I really wasn’t disappointed. I feel like in the grand scheme of dinner-planning there are a few key things that will make your life a whole lot easier and less stressful – and really, raise your hand if you think you don’t need some de-stressors in your life. Exactly! We could all do with a little less stress. My number one tip for easy, no-stress dinner is planning ahead. As in, making a menu the week before and then going grocery shopping for everything you’ll need. Sounds obvious but a lot of people don’t do it and when that happens at my house, it’s usually take-out or cereal for dinner. My other major stress-relieving tip is to have some easy side dishes up your sleeve. A few salads, maybe a quick garlic bread or go-to roll your family loves, and a scalloped potato recipe. Scalloped potatoes go with so many different dishes and are easy to prepare. This French onion version is my favorite. I love the sharp cheddar and ranch flavors in the potatoes, and the crispy onions on top give it a little crunch. (p.s. crunch = a very good thing) So what I’m really saying here is… make this one of your go-to side dishes. Easy. Delicious. Versatile. Wonderful.
